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Texas Child Support Mediation

Why mediate child support? Texas's child support guidelines are minimum standard of financial support of children. Texas child support guidelines apply universally, as if all families and children are the same. Parents can agree to a different amount of child support than the Texas guidelines provide.

Many parents we see do not believe it is appropriate to provide only minimum child support for the care and needs of their children. Frequently the children’s basic needs legitimately exceed the Texas child support guideline amount.

Parents calculate more accurate child support in mediation based on the child's actual needs, the time the child spends with each parent, and the parent's ability to pay. Occasionally they agree there will be no child support.

Determine each parent's income, ability, and willingness to share in child's support

Avoid future conflict by agreeing what child support does and does not cover

Parents are often unaware they can make an agreement that no child support will be paid. Parents are making that choice in mediation when they have similar incomes, share contributions for extracurricular activities, daycare, and education, and the children spend close to equal time in each household.

Detente mediators help parents look carefully at the actual expenses of the child, the child's living arrangements (parenting plan) and any special needs, and the parent's income and ability to cover those needs to determine the amount of child support that works. We can help negotiate child support before and after divorce.